# COMAC's 19-seat CE-25A electric demonstrator flies with a crew; claimed range is 400 km

- Published: 2026-11-15 15:50 UTC
- Section: Sky & Space › Aviation
- Tags: COMAC CE-25A, battery-electric commuter plane, 19-seat electric aircraft, first crewed flight, CAAC type certificate, electric ducted fans, CATL condensed battery, Heart Aerospace X1, 500 Wh/kg
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-7005f95d3881f8a8f86828b3_comac_s_19/

**COMAC's battery-electric CE-25A demonstrator made its first crewed flight in Binzhou after 19 uncrewed flights. China's regulator is now reviewing it for a type certificate.**

![COMAC's 19-seat CE-25A electric demonstrator flies with a crew; claimed range is 400 km](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/763243152588ae5b.webp)
*electrek.co*

COMAC's CE-25A, a 19-seat battery-electric commuter plane, flew with a crew for the first time on Saturday in Binzhou, Shandong, according to electrek.co. [1] Two pilots and a flight test engineer were aboard the demonstrator, which weighs roughly 10 tonnes. COMAC says every system worked normally. [1]

It was not the aircraft's first flight. Since February 2 the CE-25A had completed 19 autonomous test flights with nobody on board. [1] China's aviation regulator, the CAAC, is now reviewing the aircraft for a type certificate. [1]

## CE-25A design and certification

The CE-25A is a T-tail commuter plane with 10 electric ducted fans on the wings, five per side, instead of propellers. COMAC lists a cruise speed of 300 km/h and a range of 400 km (250 miles). [1]

The CAAC's acceptance of the type certificate application starts the airworthiness review. It does not mean passenger service is near, and COMAC has not given a date for commercial operation. [1]

The programme stayed quiet for a long time. COMAC showed a CE-25A model at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai in November 2023. Its placard listed a range of 400 to 500 km and a top cruise speed of 400 km/h. The full-size aircraft, registered B-0EFH, became public only when photos appeared on Chinese social media on October 28. [1]

## Batteries and other electric aircraft

In July 2023 COMAC, CATL and Shanghai Jiao Tong University formed a joint venture with CNY 600 million in registered capital to develop electric aircraft. [1] CATL had just presented a "condensed" battery, which it claimed reaches up to 500 Wh/kg at cell level, and said it was testing the cells to aviation standards. Neither company has confirmed what battery is installed in the CE-25A. [1] About 500 Wh/kg has long been seen as the energy-density target for commercial-scale electric flight.

Other large electric demonstrators exist. In August, Heart Aerospace flew its X1 in Plattsburgh, New York, for 27 minutes. The aircraft weighs 25,000 lb and has a 106-foot wingspan, and Heart calls it the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown. [1] Eviation flew its 9-passenger Alice in September 2022 and laid off most of its staff in early 2025. [1]

Heart replaced its 19-seat ES-19 with the 30-seat ES-30 in 2022. The ES-30 relies on reserve turbogenerators to extend its range, with BAE Systems working on the battery. Heart targets service in 2031 and claims operating costs more than 40% lower. [1]

## Sources

1. [electrek.co](https://electrek.co/2026/11/15/china-comac-ce-25a-electric-plane-crewed-flight)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-7005f95d3881f8a8f86828b3_comac_s_19/